2020, Week 7

In the dead of winter I'm not sure there's anything better for my soul than warm, sun-filled days.  We were lucky to spend the better part of this week in southern California, joining TJ's parents in a house there while we all visited TJ's sister and her family.  We flew down Wednesday and returned late Sunday night and I wore shorts - glorious shorts - every day we were there.

Wednesday - we were the very last ones to board the flight heading down (which I fear gave Nana quite a fright!)  After landing we drove down Pacific Coast Highway, gawking at the beauty of the beaches and the ocean, as the kids napped in the JEEP WRANGLER the rental car company gave us.  Huntington Beach was so incredibly beautiful.  Made me want to move there!  We met Nana and Papa at the park near Sara's house and all the kids played together outside (while I spent a while on the phone helping my parents book a direct flight home from their cruise, given how poorly my dad was feeling).  TJ helped Colette build a little house out of twigs, the boys took turns driving Wesley's little Jeep (sometimes with screaming involved) and dumped water and mud all over the volleyball court, and all of us soaked in sunshine.  We met sweet Olive with her wild hair :) and sat and chat and enjoyed being there.  Papa and TJ picked up dinner while Nana and I drove the kids home (somehow arriving after them) and we did dinner and bed!

Thursday - after a low key morning we headed to the beach!  I'm not sure what I was thinking but I didn't actually pack any beach things, so I went to Target and spent $300 on swimsuits and hats and toys and was pleasantly surprised that we found functional things for TJ, Reed, and Holland.  I did self checkout and failed to remove the ink tags from my stuff, so saved us some money there.  :)  Maybe because it was 60 degrees out (and 59 in the water) and a week day, we had the beach to ourselves!  It was pretty amazing.  Colette and Wesley ran straight into the water, leaving Wesley shivering in towels for the remaining 2 hours and 58 minutes we were there.  Reed could not get enough of digging in the dirt and Holland ate what probably amounted to half a cup of sand, her little hands shoving fistful after fistful into her mouth.  TJ and I traded off using our new camera, trying to figure out the right settings to capture all that goodness with those people we so love.  

Took this one my phone as we were walking to the beach then used the camera the rest the trip, but I'm too lazy to pull the camera out for a better picture.  Ha!

Both our kids loved the water.  :)  It took Reed a while to warm up to the idea of going in but then he insisted on standing on shore - letting the waves wash over his legs - until he couldn't walk he was so cold.  Holland kicked like crazy while the water came near and did not want to leave it.  Just before we were leaving I told TJ to catch a few waves on the boogie board.  He was brave and jumped in and came in smiling.  After watching him a few times Reed said he wanted a turn and laid right down on the board!  We helped him ride a few waves before getting him showered off and wrapped in a towel to get warm.  Mexico is going to be a blast with these kids!

Friday - we headed out first thing to the Irvine Spectrum Mall with Nana and Papa (where I returned the $200 of stuff we didn't use to Target).  The mall is largely outdoors and has loads of fun things.  Reed started on the playground and then we headed over to the carousel.  [While there we got a phone call from sweet Julianne who was at our house delivering us lobster tails as a Valentine's Day gift!  Can you believe that?  Gosh, we love her.]  Reed was so stoic on the carousel I don't think he smiled once, though he did love it.  Holland was a bit more expressive, especially when I ran around the carousel a few times keeping up with her as she rode with TJ.  After the carousel we headed to the Ferris wheel.  Reed has been wanting to ride the Ferris wheel at Scheel's but Holland isn't tall enough to go on it and Reed can't go alone, so this was especially thrilling for him.  All six of us fit in one bucket (what's the right name for that??) and we had spectacular views as we went around a few times.  I also realized I have a decent fear of heights, ha!  

Just steps away from the Ferris wheel is a Haagen Dazs, the source of Nana and Papa's favorite dessert in all the land.  We all got ice cream and sat in the sun, letting Holland crawl around the pristine turf, taking pictures, and chatting.  Reed's ice cream had a big spoonful of mini M&Ms on it and he was content to just spoon those off and ignore the ice cream.  :)  

After Friday naps all the Muirs (including Kipp!) came to the rental house where we had a pretty delicious dinner together.  The kids ran around like banshees and the games we hoped to play together never happened, but it was a good get together regardless.  

We were lucky to be in town for citrus season and there were trees everywhere just dripping oranges and lemons.  The trees came in every shape and size and they were gorgeous.  The backyard of our rental house had an orange tree overflowing with fruit and Colette climbed it and threw down dozens of oranges.  TJ persuaded her to pick them all up by telling her he'd make fresh orange juice: bless him for spending a good hour hand squeezing orange after orange for everyone's enjoyment at dinner.  

Saturday - the Muirs had plans with Kipp's family all day so we headed out with Nana and Papa to Irvine Regional Park, which we had heard so much about.  What a park!  It was pretty unbelievable.  We went on the train first thing - it was leaving about 4 minutes after we parked - and had a great ride.  It was especially exciting for Reed.  After the train we went over for pony rides (where Holland missed out because the minimum age is one).  TJ led Reed's pony around and Reed had a great time on his horse (Gypsy).  We walked along beautiful paths to get to the zoo, stopping to look at birds on the way.  There are a number of woodpeckers throughout the park and Poppy played a woodpecker sound from his bird app and a half dozen woodpeckers came right over!  We also spotted wood ducks and cormorants and a heron at the lakes.  

The little zoo was a perfect fit for us.  It was just $2 to get in and really small, making it super accessible!  Peacocks, bears, a bald eagle, a golden eagle, snakes, mountain lions, porcupines - it was a neat place.  One of the zookeepers was out holding a falcon that we could see up close and Reed just soaked everything in - he was especially fond of the button at one exhibit that played different bird calls and pushed it probably 25 times.  Holland was exhausted and fell asleep in TJ's arms which is a real rarity (it's still more likely for Reed to fall asleep in our arms than Holland).

As we were walking towards the parking lot to leave Reed asked to ride one of the surreys the park rents out.  As I debated whether to push for naps or ride the surrey I couldn't help but think, "Live in anticipation of the memory."  Rentals were half off before noon so at 11:58 we rented a surrey that held all six of us and spent 30 minutes pedaling around the park, pausing frequently for breaks from fatigue.  Ha!  Those suckers are not easy to pedal.  My favorite stop was when we saw a man with a huge camera lens - he was shooting a barn owl, perched in a tree about 20 feet from the ground!  Poppy said it's pretty rare for them to be seen during the day so we stopped and looked at it for a few minutes.  So gorgeous.  

While the kids took (3+ hour) naps Nana and Papa went out for acai bowls.  When they got home we grabbed dinner for the kids and TJ and I got to go on a date of our own!  I really wanted to go to a place called South of Nick's but they were booked solid from 6-10 PM!  Can you believe that?  We went to another place called True Food Kitchen, which was delicious.  When we go back we're getting a double order of those brussels sprouts.  :)  

Sunday - we got everything packed up (thanks in large part to Nana and Papa) and left the house by 9:15 to get to the Muirs for baby Olive's blessing!  Austin - who was in town for a cheer competition - grabbed an Uber to join us at Sara and Kipp's house.  Kipp's parents and a couple cousins were also there.  It was a really beautiful blessing and we were so glad we were able to attend.  We took some pictures afterwards and TJ and I took our kids to Sacrament meeting while Nana took Papa to the airport (he had a required choir practice at the tabernacle and needed to be home early).  

After church we stopped at Cava (delicious Cava) for a long lunch before driving Pacific Coast Highway again.  Our hope was for both kids to get long naps and Reed complied beautifully, sleeping peacefully through Holland's singing and humming and yelling and crying and talking (she stayed awake the full 90 minutes).  We got gas and returned the rental car - and still Reed slept!  We were flying out of LGB, which is a tiny airport, so I stayed at the car while TJ went and checked our luggage.  We opened the back window of the Jeep and let Holland just play back there - and still Reed slept.  He probably slept for an hour after we parked, airplane and car noises, Holland playing, and us opening and closing doors to consolidate our packing notwithstanding.  What a kid.  We headed in the airport, got through security, and were the last ones to board the flight (again!) about ten minutes later.  :)  Holland was so tired but couldn't sleep on the flight - she fell asleep within about two minutes of getting into her car seat in the van.

As I think about the week I realize that we didn't do anything really big or grand but I think it's the little moments like these - a ride around the Ferris wheel, an afternoon at the beach, a surrey ride through the park, fresh squeezed orange juice - that stick out in memories.  So grateful to have all these experiences to remember and cherish!

2020, Week 6

So many highlights from the past week here.

• TJ, Holland, and Reed spent most of the week sick.  The kids are now nearly back to 100% but TJ has spent the past three nights sleeping propped up on the couch with a terrible cough.  We're all grateful I've stayed healthy.
• We had a big snowstorm roll in Sunday night that dropped quite a bit of snow across the valley.  Our yard had between 6-8 inches, but both our parents' houses got 10-12 inches and on the east side there were homes (in Sandy!) with 24 inches.  School was canceled in several districts and TJ's evening class was canceled at Westminster.  While Holland napped Reed and I shoveled snow together.  What a difference it makes to have warm clothes when you're outside!
• We made Reed his first hot chocolate on Tuesday.  He drank it for a minute.  :)
• Wednesday was still cold so we burned time in the morning at Scheels where Reed and I lived wild and rode the escalators while Holland sat on the main floor and watched us!  It may have been one of the more thrilling moments of Reed's life (he LOVES the escalators but we almost always have the stroller).  Cute Holland loved watching the fish and the ferris wheel.  I also loved that when I was taking this picture Reed said to me "Someone is waving at me - that grandma over there."  Apparently a woman that was there was waving from behind me - ha!

• Thursday morning TJ drove us through a snowstorm for Reed's doctor appointment at Primary Children's.  We're trying to figure out what's going on with his legs.  It took over an hour to get there and then was nearly an hour wait, which made for a long morning.  The kids did great and the doctor was so wonderful (but has no idea what's going on).  

• Thursday evening the kids went to bed at Nana and Papa's house so we could surprise our favorite babysitter and take us to a play WITH us.  We so loved The Man With the Pointed Toes that we saw it twice and got some good laughs both times.
• Friday night we did a triple date at our house after the kids went to bed, welcoming the Merkleys and Curtises for snacks, games, and a lot of chatting.  We love both couples and had a great night (even though we stayed up way too late).
• Saturday morning we went to a family concert at BYU featuring their folk music groups.  Both kids loved it and TJ and I so enjoyed seeing them take right to something we love so much!
• Saturday afternoon TJ and I went back down to BYU to see Hamlet, set in a modern setting (with Hamlet as a skater) using the original text.  I didn't know the story beforehand and had no idea everyone dies.  We had some good discussions about what we think Shakespeare was trying to teach with that one.
• I want to remember how Reed says "I don't know" as "ah no" and the way he pretends to be various construction things ("I'm jackhammer" as he hits a rolling pin on the floor, turned vertically, or "I'm grader" as he rolls a laundry basket across the floor or "I'm log loader" as he grabs Holland's leg).
• Holland gave up nursing - cold turkey - on Tuesday night, making us both quite miserable for the rest of the week.  I've tried so many times to get her to eat but she just screams, so we're calling it good and moving on.  We've had a couple rough nights as she learns to sleep without that milk and my body is adjusting slowly, but we both seem to be doing better.  I mentioned to TJ last night that it's been more than 3 years that I've been nursing or pregnant, so this is quite an adjustment. 
• I've been working HARD on getting our 2018 book finished and opened the book last Sunday night to see all the pictures gone!  TJ spent quite a while working on it and recovered an earlier version that was only missing a month, so I've redone that month and am now about 80% done with the whole thing.  I'm trying to finish quickly, both because I have a hard time working on them in the summer (when the sun is shining) and because I now feel paranoid about losing it again!

2020, Week 5

Last Sunday night Reed woke me around 2 AM, coughing.  Disappointment hit me pretty quickly as I nudged TJ and said, "That's croup.  Reed has croup."  As I finished packing all our luggage on Monday morning for a week away TJ hurried Reed to the doctor (who thankfully squeezed us in) for steroids.  TJ's sweet parents helped us to get to the airport to make our flight. 

For Christmas we asked TJ's parents to join us in Texas for a week.  We chose Austin because we had never been, heard the weather was great, the culture was fun, and we thought it would be the perfect getaway to beat winter blues.  We rented a house for all six of us and headed down for sunshine and exploration.  After five days there, I think Austin is pretty great.  And for the next time we go we have a whole list of things to do that we never actually got to.  :)

Life doesn't always go as we plan, does it?  We'll never forget this week ("Remember that time when the kids were little and we went on vacation for a week and they were so sick we hardly left the house?).  It definitely wasn't the vacation we were planning on, but there were lots of great moments and we left with scads of new memories to cherish. 

Reed was sick all week - sick enough that we rotated sleeping with him at night as he just couldn't breathe clearly - and by Wednesday Holland was sick too.  Nana and Papa (saints!  seriously, saints!) were up with Reed every morning by about 5 AM so TJ and I could get some extra sleep.  We packed a puzzle that we thought would be far too ambitious for a five day trip but on Thursday night we placed the last piece - we had a lot of down time and that's okay!

Tuesday was a nice day and we went out for lunch before heading to Zilker Park, a Central Park-like space in downtown Austin.  The sun was out and we all marveled at the people swimming in the river (it was about 65 degrees outside).  Reed tromped around the playground with Nana, Papa, and TJ as I pushed Holland's stroller along the path that paralleled the river.  I could've spent days at that place - botanical gardens, a train for the kids to ride, an outdoor science and nature center, loads of paths through loads of beauty.  Eventually I convinced Reed to leave the playground to explore the river, where he ended up in his diaper playing in that same cold river as all the other crazy people.  :)  I joined him (up to my knees ;) and Holland seems to also have inherited the cold water gene because she, too, was happily splashing around.

Wednesday morning we hit Mt. Bonnell for the gorgeous views overlooking Lake Austin (and the magnificent estates along the river!)  Reed had a complete meltdown so we called it quits early and headed to explore the Texas State Capitol, an imposing structure (with a pink hue!) that was just gorgeous to explore.  After another meltdown we headed home for naps, did takeout for dinner, and had a low key night at home.

Thursday Nana and Papa headed to Waco to explore the world of Chip and Joanna Gaines.  TJ and I spent the whole day home with the kids, just venturing out in the evening to explore the Austin Central Library with Nana and Papa prior to getting crepes for dinner.  The library was so beautiful - I wished for several more hours to see it all.  TJ and I were especially enchanted with all the board games they had (including a bunch of really nice ones we'd never want to buy without playing first). 

Friday morning we scrambled to pack up, return the stroller, buy snacks for the flight, and travel home.  Reed and TJ joined Nana and Papa to explore a Bass Pro Shop and go bowling while Holland and I traversed the (numerous) highways to get everything together for our flight home.  We were so worried about the kids' sinuses on the flight but they did great - probably due to the Benadryl we gave them. 

And now we're home.  TJ picked up this yucky sickness on Friday and has spent both yesterday and today in bed, the doctor told us yesterday that both Holland's ears are infected, and we are feeling a bit of trepidation as we look at the busy week ahead.  Instead of focusing on that, here are a few things I want to remember from last week:

• The two morning runs I was able to do in Texas.  It was so refreshing to be out in nature, running along paths in the green spaces that seemed to be everywhere.  Those quiet moments with the birds singing and my legs moving were beautifully restorative.
• The family walk we did one evening, where we ended up at a pond we didn't know was there.  Poppy and Reed had both brought their binoculars and it was my first time bird-watching with binoculars.  We saw hooded mergansers that were captivating.
• Tacos!  Turns out Austin has some really great Mexican food and we fell in love with Tacodeli, eating there three days in a row.  
• The relief I felt when TJ made our flight home.  Man oh man.  Seeing his face coming out of security, literally five minutes before they shut the door, made me breathe a huge sigh of relief.  So glad we didn't have to decide whether we'd split up to get home.
• The river swim.  It was just so fun - spontaneous and adventurous and maybe a little crazy with sick kids, but probably the highlight of the trip for me.
• The kind cowboy who helped me to the car in Salt Lake City.  TJ had gone to get the car out of parking while I gathered our luggage and this cowboy - who saw me with two kids, wearing a backpack, pushing a luggage cart (carrying two precariously-balanced car seats) with one hand and pulling two full-size suitcases with the other - turned to his friend and said "watch my saddle." and turned to me and said, "Let me help you out, Ma'am."  It was just so incredibly kind.  Before he walked away he said, "Come see us at the rodeo this weekend if y'all have time."  So nice.
• The date TJ and I had one afternoon.  It was lovely to sit out in the sunshine and eat tacos together without juggling kids and who got to eat food while it was hot.  ;)
• The unbelievable sunset on our flight home.  It was the most brilliant red-orange I've ever seen, vivid as could be, and we chased it for more than thirty minutes.  

What a week!

A post-river swim picture - thank goodness for jammies in the diaper bag!

Holland: 8 Months Old

I feel like I have a million and one things on my to do list, but I'm trying to prioritize pausing and journaling about this sweet girl because I know I'll be more grateful for this than for completed Christmas shopping lists or a clean kitchen.  So let's hop to.

This little lady is now eight months old:

And, goodness, we have sure lucked out to have her.  She is such a SWEET baby (which I must tell her often because several times every day Reed is in her face, his little voice an octave higher than usual as he says "Hi, sweet go-whoa (girl).")  She is nearly always content and so quick to smile: sometimes I get her out of bed at 10 or 11 PM to feed her and even as she blinks away sleep and squints from the light she smiles.

Speaking of light, Holland sneezes anytime the sun is in her eyes: whether in her car seat or outside, it's always consistent.

She has not yet met a food she doesn't like.  I remember Reed at this age making the most humorous faces with new foods but we don't get that with Holland at all: instead we get screams and sobs when we stop putting food in her mouth.  :)  Smoothies, applesauce, yogurt, eggs, potatoes, carrots, bananas, cheese, apples, blueberries - anything goes.  She is simply delighted with whatever she eats.  In fact, Reed is trying more things now because he sees her so happily eating them, which is a win for us all!  I am still nursing Holland but the frequency and duration have dropped quite a bit.

In fact, nursing Holland deserves its own point.  Ha!  She is such a funny girl when she nurses: she's easily distracted, which means I have to feed her somewhere quiet or she simply can't focus enough to eat (eating on the go, in the van, at someone's house, etc. simply don't work).  While nursing she does some pretty funny things with her arms: sometimes she flails them wildly, sometimes she pinches and scratches my arm, often she just reaches for and holds whatever she finds, etc.  I most frequently feed her in the glider in her room and after she's done she always leans her head back until it gets stuck between my leg and the edge of the chair, at which point she rolls over so her belly is on my leg while her head is still stuck. It's such an odd, but consistent, routine and I worry one of these days she's going to roll right off my lap.

Holland's first tooth poked through on October 12 and the second came through on October 23, so she now has her two little bottom teeth.  Nothing else has come through yet!

If I had to choose one word to describe Holland right now it would probably be curious.  She wants to grab, hold, and eat everything she can get her hands on.  It's hard to read to her because she cries if she can't grab and hold the book.  She tips over while sitting because she's reaching for something that's caught her eye.  She looks up for noises, reaches for whatever she sees, and is not really content to just sit - she has to be doing something.

Probably driven by her curiosity, she is getting pretty close to crawling.  She hasn't yet gotten up on all fours, but she will lay on her belly and wriggle her body forward until she can reach what she's going for.  She makes her way across a room pretty efficiently now (by rolling) and I'm sometimes surprised to leave a room and come back after just a minute to find her 8 feet away.  She fell off the couch last night for the first time (our fault for leaving her there.... we felt awful) but hasn't yet fallen down the stairs.

Her routine of going to sleep is so funny.  We have largely abandoned swaddling her arms.  Instead, I typically swaddle her from her chest down with a swaddle blanket.  Then I hand her her saranoni blanket (a gift from my sister), which she grabs with both hands, and pulls up to the top of her head.  She then puts her feet straight up in the air, rolls onto her side, and puts her feet between the slats in her crib.  She does that exact thing probably 95% of the time when she goes to sleep.

This girl still loves her big brother.  More than once I have been telling him to give her some space when I hear her giggling at whatever he's doing.  He pushes her over, lifts her head to sit her back up, rolls her like a log, lays on her, sits in her lap, kicks with her (which often results in actually kicking her), takes her toys, gives her toys, kisses her, licks her, and just overwhelmingly loves her.  Some of our tenderest moments are listening to him talk with her: "What's happened, Han?"  "Han, look - covered dump truck right here."  "Mommy, Han dropped it.  Get it."  "Deep bref, Han (when she's crying)."  Every morning when she wakes up and starts talking Reed shouts, "Han awake!!" and zooms to her room, where he climbs up to talk with her in her crib.  I also just melt when he, in his baby voice, says "Hi, sweet sistow" or "Hi, sweet go-whoa."  Be still my heart.

Reed still typically calls her Han (rhymes with "on") or Hanuh, but he can clearly say Holland and sometimes calls her by her actual name too.  Actually, we taught him that her full name is Holland Eileen Morris and he calls her that with some frequency.  :)  TJ and I most often call her Han, Holland, or Sister.  I also call her Sweet Girl, Sweet Sister, Lady Lover (no clue why), Little Lady, and Munch.

A few other things that come to mind.

Holland:

• Loves kicking her feet on her mattress.  Well, she loves kicking her feet anywhere/anytime.  I often hear pounding in the house, caused by her feet hitting whichever surface she's laying on.
• Kicks like crazy when someone walks into her room while she's in her bed.
• Has the cutest blonde hair that - after several haircuts - has really filled in and is now starting to grow out.
• Talks like a grandpa all the time.  
• Sucks on her teeth and sticks her cute tongue out in such a darling way.
• Pulls her headbands down to suck on the bow (sometimes until she gags herself and then spits up on them).
• Changes outfits 3-4 times a day due to making a mess while eating or spitting up.
• Is pretty darn ticklish and especially laughs when I bite her sides.
• Is a mediocre sleeper.  She usually does a 6-ish hour stretch, but I am almost waking up at some point when I'd rather be sleeping to feed her (usually around 4 AM).  We tried waiting her out but after two nights of her just talking and talking and talking for more than an hour I decided it's faster to feed her for ten minutes and go back to sleep.  Ha!
• Is a little trooper as we are almost always on-the-go during her morning nap.  She isn't one to fall asleep just anywhere (unless she is completely exhausted) so usually gets a very abbreviated morning nap in her car seat during an uninterrupted stretch driving.
• Has some stinkin' adorable, chubby cheeks.  Oh, I love them.  I kiss them so much.
• Still really adores her daddy.  She lights up when she sees him or is with him.
• Loves bathing!  When I put her in the bath she kicks until I am covered with water.  :)  On vacation last week we had a huge jetted tub and I put her in with Reed (he LOVES when she joins him) and she laid right down in the water, no hesitation at all.  She seems to love being in the water.
• Sure likes her binky.  It is most often clipped to her when she'll need it (at night, during naps, in her car seat), and she knows just how to grab it and plop it into her mouth.
• Isn't much of a cuddler.  In fact, after I nurse her when I go to bubble her she pushes herself away from me by putting her hands on my shoulders and just pushing back.  Given this tendency, I try to just hold her whenever she'll let me - if she falls asleep right after or while nursing I sit and just rock her and hold her close.
• Does love hugs and - I've recently discovered - tight hugs, where I have both my arms around her and pull her tight.  
• Wears size 3 diapers (for several months now), 12 month pajamas, 18 month dresses, and needs to bump up on pants from 12 months to 18 months (I've had some 12 month pants that will no longer fit over her cute, chubby thighs.  :)  
• Was a darling little ladybug for Halloween.

She can't actually stand yet - we propped her against the wall with her knees locked while I stood just barely outside the frame to catch her if she fell.  :)

Gosh, we just love and adore this sweet girl.  I often look at her and wonder how we got so lucky to get her in our family.  She is such a happy baby, busy but content, and fills all our lives and hearts with so much joy.  Reed, TJ, and I are all over the moon that she's ours.

The Kids Are Talking -2-

Things I've jotted down that Reed has said lately:

September:

Rachel: Don't worry - it's not a big deal.
Reed: Tiny deal.

Pronounces trucks as "kwuts."

When he doesn't know the answer to something just says "Uhhhh ummmm."  Also does this when he doesn't know what something is and wants us to tell him (he points and just drags out "uhhhhhh ummmmm").

After Holland spit up and I cleaned her up one morning Reed burped.  He looked down, expectantly, and I told him, "You didn't spit up."  His response?  "Darn it."

He calls peacocks apricots.

After a special musical number at church he clapped wildly - enough that people were watching him and chuckling.

He came RUNNING up to me with a paper in his hands and yelled, "I did it!"  "What did you do?  Draw a picture?"  "Draw Hauna!"  His first picture.  It's still on our fridge.  :)

Playing at the library one day another boy came up to play on the same (rather large) toy.  Reed just started screaming, "Stop!  Stop it, Boy!"

When Holland cries he frequently calls out, "What's happened, Sis?"  He also says "What's a matter, Hahn?"

TJ singing
Reed: STOP!
Rachel: Reed.  (Stern look)  What do you say to Dad?
Reed: Stop singing.

First prayer alone:
Heavenly Father, Thank you Mommy and Daddy.  Thank you temple.

Every prayer since:
Heavenly Father, Thank you Nanny Poppy school.  [Note: we still have no clue what this means and it's been months.]

Every day when we do his hair he says it's "like Emmett" (his cousin who always has his hair spiky).

Calls skeletons monkeys and ghosts boos.

On a walk one day Reed pointed down the road and started repeating "Jeff.  Jeff."  As we got closer he started saying "Jeff car."  He had recognized a BMW from about 50 yards back and knew it was the same kind of car his uncle drives.

Reed loves the Tabernacle Choir.  He frequently asks me what Mack Wilberg (the choir director) is doing (at random times of the day, random days of the week).  His favorite song, which he requests frequently, is "Mack Red Dressings," which is Reed language for "Come Thou Fount," where the Tabernacle Choir wears red dresses.  He knows when the shots are on Mack and will yell out in anticipation of seeing him.  He also always says "Mens" when the men start singing.


October:

Reed: Duck, duck, duck, goose.  Meh-nee [Mary] house.  Outside.
Rachel: What do you do when you're the goose?
Reed: Run, Reed, run.  Lexi says (rhymes with haze) that.

Rachel: Reed, next week is Dad's birthday.
Reed (singing): Happy birthday to you.
Rachel: Yes!  What do you want to give Dad for a present?
Reed (after a pause): Spicy chips.
Rachel: Oh, good idea.  How many spicy chips?
Reed: Yot.

Later, when TJ comes home:
Reed (shouting): Dad!  Spicy chips present!

For about two weeks Reed would yell "Trick or treating!" instead of just "Trick or treat!"

When he goes to bed, as he sucks on his binky and rubs his tags on his blanket, he looks up at me and says "Nuh night, Mommy."

If he wants two of something he requests "Two ones."

We hung the pictures of the apostles up in anticipation of General Conference.  He learned all their names and would do funny things like yelling "Nuh night, Prophet Nelson!  Nuh night, Rasband!  Nuh night, Oaks!" on his way to bed.  One day it really hit him that Elder Holland is named Elder Holland.  He looked at us and exclaimed, "Same!  Holland (pointing to the picture of Elder Holland), Holland (pointing to his sister), same!"  :)  Since then he says "Same same" whenever things are the same (ie seeing a picture of an apostle in a magazine he'll yell "Same, same Gong!" or seeing a book at the library that we also have at home he'll point and just say, "Same same!")

On the way to one of my sister's houses we drive through a roundabout.  One day Reed was running circles around Holland hollering "Roundabout!"

He spent all October calling the pumpkin patch "pumpkin match."

Rachel: Do you want your quinoa warm or cold?
Reed: Nice.  (He always requests "nice").


November:

Tucking Reed in bed after my pregnant sister left.
Reed: Mommy have baby in belly?
Rachel: No, I don't.
Reed (peering down my shirt): Mommy have baby in milks?

Reed is loving being held and snuggled (instead of sleeping - ha!)  He also mixes up "you" and "me" and "your" and "my" often, which means that he frequently asks me, "Mommy hold you green chair?"

Reed goes to turn on the music on his toy horse.
Rachel: Let's not turn that on.  Want to listen to some Christmas music?
Reed: Want horse music.

While driving down the road we saw someone on the sidewalk in a wheelchair.
Reed: What's is it, that, Mommy?
Rachel: That's a wheelchair.  That person's legs don't work so they use a wheelchair.
Reed: Reed ride wheelchair.  Daddy push Reed.

Nana: Why am I all sticky on my shirt?
Rachel: Sorry, I think Reed ate something sticky before he gave you a hug.
Nana (laughing): I am so sticky.  It's all over my neck and shoulder.
Reed (crying): Reed stick Poppy! (Just wanting to share all the love).

Reed has started recognizing words and letters.  The first word he recognized was Costco, which he now calls out whenever he sees it.  He knows Harmon's now too, which is a great indication of where we spend our time.

Reed steps to the edge of the room to fill his diaper.
Rachel: Reed!  Do you want to do your stinky diaper on the toilet?
Reed: Yup.
Rachel: Run!
Reed successfully goes to the bathroom in the toilet, which I make a huge deal about.  Reed glances down into the toilet and yells, "Snake!"
Rachel: Yep, that's your stinky.
Reed: Stinky snake!

Rachel: Ouch!
Reed: What's happened, Mommy?
Rachel: Oh, I got a cut on my hand and it hurts.
Reed: Get out, cut!

Reed: 2.5 Years

On November 5 Reed hit two and a half years old.  His personality seems to be just bursting out and - as usual - I just want to capture as much of it as I can.  In preparation for writing this I went back and read my last write-up for Reed, when he was 22 months and before Holland was born.  I feel like so much has changed since then (at that point he didn't know colors and I feel like he's known his colors forever!).  Here are a few notes about him right now:

• This boy can talk!  I think (but am not certain) that his speech is fairly advanced and he is pretty consistently now speaking in full sentences.  It is so fun - and often funny - to hear how his little brain works and the thoughts he has.  Just tonight, as TJ came home, he said "Daddy!  Shhhh.  Han sleeping.  Whisper."  
• Reed really loves Holland and wants to interact with her more and more: this often means he is nudging her so she falls over (from sitting), grabbing her head to pick her back up, lying in her lap, rolling her over like she's a log, and doing other comparably loving actions (which I know is just him figuring out how she works but it can get tiresome to holler "Stop squeezing her hand!" or "That screaming she's doing?  That means stop.").  To be fair, he really does love her: he gives her loads of kisses, hollers "What's happened, Han?" when he hears her cry, tells her "Deep breath, Han" when she's screaming, gives her loves before she goes to bed, and tells her, "I love you go-whoa (girl)" every day.    

• Prior to General Conference Reed memorized the names of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.  It's pretty darling to hear him yell out "Gong!" and "Soares!" when he sees them (on TV, in a church magazine, etc.)  We also taught him that President Nelson "fixes hearts" and that Elder Uchtdorf "drives airplanes" and he figured out for himself that Elder Holland and his sister Holland have the same name ("same same!").

• I can't really understate how much Reed loves vehicles.  He is incredibly aware of the vehicles around him at virtually all times.  When we eat breakfast he is calling out what he can hear working in the neighborhood (with all the construction in our area).  He tells Holland when an airplane or helicopter flies overhead.  And he is on high alert anytime we're driving: he has fantastic eyes and knows so many types of vehicles it's fun to hear him call them out as we drive.  At present he can identify: diggers (excavators), pushers (bulldozers), cranes, police cars (even ones without lights on them, leading me to know how he can tell them apart from any other vehicle with writing, but he can), ambulances, fire trucks, tow trucks, box trucks, semis, hopper cars, Hummers, Jeeps, BMWs, oil tank trucks, chippers, covered dump trucks, dump trucks, side dump trucks, cherry pickers, up and downs (forklifts), motorcycles, motor homes, buses, trailers, flat beds, street washers, vacuum trucks, mail trucks, garbage trucks, trucks with lift gates, vans, race cars (anything that looks fast to his mom, who doesn't know the difference...), tractors, snow plows, and probably a dozen more I can't think of.  He also knows the type of car/truck/vehicle that Jeff, Mary, Papa, Bompa, a random neighbor, and TJ drive and will call them out ("Jeff car!" for a BMW) as we see them.  As someone not inclined to notice or care about vehicles before now, his ability to grasp the differences and notice them is pretty mind boggling to me.

• After 8 months of spending 95% of his sleeping time zipped into his tent, Reed has FINALLY chosen to sleep in his bed.  This is a big deal and after two weeks of him almost exclusively sleeping in his bed I still worry he'll revert to his tent!  For 8 months we have consistently asked him (at both bedtime and nap time), "Reed, do you want to sleep in your bed or tent?" His answer was always, "Bed," and we'd lay out the terms: "If you stay in your bed you can sleep in your bed all night.  But if you get up, you'll sleep in your tent."  We'd get maybe once every two weeks that he'd sleep in his bed, month after month.  But something clicked a couple weeks ago and he's doing it!  After he stayed in bed for both his nap and overnight I added some incentive: if he would stay in his bed all night he could get a whole page of stickers when he woke up.  I bought him some transportation stickers and they've worked like a charm.  He no longer is asking for them but the sleep continues.  HOORAY!

• As a funny side note to the sleep thing, I've told him that once he's in bed he needs to stay in bed but that if he needs something he can call for me and I'll come.  This has led to Reed hollering, "Mom!  Need something!" with some frequency.  When I go and ask him what he needs he usually just says, "Something."  :)
• Reed has started regularly (as in, many times a day) asking about random people and where they are.  "Where's Mack Wilberg?  Where's Poppy?  Where's Paige?  Where's Dad?  Where's tiny Graysen? [Our neighbor's cousin, for crying out loud]"  We talk about where they are or where they could be.  "He's at work.  Maybe he's at the temple.  It's 7 AM, I bet she's at home."  He's started using my wording and now says "Prob'ly at work." or "Prob'ly at church."  The "prob'ly" always makes me smile, as does the whole habit of asking where people are.
• I was thinking it would be good for Reed to know his full name if he ever gets lost, so I taught him that he is Reed Morris.  He probably calls himself Reed Morris about half the time now.  "I want some Reed Morris" is a pretty regular example of how he tells me he wants something.  He also knows, and frequently reminds me, "Gem Morris, Poppy.  Eileen Morris, Nana.  Gordon Milar, Bompa.  Rachel Morris, Mommy.  TJ Morris and Tanner Morris, Daddy.  Elliana Ava Peterson (he nearly always calls her by her full name).  Holland Eileen Morris (same, same - Eileen Hana and Eileen Nana)."  He is getting pretty good at Cora Milar, Grandma, and knows a few other random ones too.
• Reed has a pretty incredible memory and every couple days says something or brings something up that really surprises me.  A quick example: in September Nana and Papa spent a week back East, starting in Boston and then visiting New York.  While they were there Reed - as usual - asked me where they were and for a couple days I told him they were in Boston.  Fast forward to two months later: last week we were listening to a podcast that was made by "WBUR Boston" and Reed immediately picked up on "Boston!  Nanny Poppy."  
• Related to the memory thing, Reed seems to be pretty good at knowing where we're driving.  We drove around the point of the mountain this week and he called out "Go butterflies," referencing the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point that we went to once a few weeks ago.  When I told him we weren't going today he said "Go Petersons," because that's the way we go to their house too.  
• I tried to get myself pumped up to take away his binkies a couple months ago and I definitely didn't even try.  He loves them SO. MUCH.  I think he's become more attached to them since Holland was born and I just think it would be a miserable battle if I tried to take them now.  We've started telling him more and more that he's a big boy and that big boys don't use binkies (naming a number of the boys he knows as proof).  It seemed like that was clicking for him, but then he noticed that Holland gets a binky clip to keep her binky from even getting away from her and...now we have a toddler using a binky clip.  Ha!

• Nana gave Reed a darling puzzle with lots of vehicles and he loves doing it (calls it his Red Bus Puzzle).  We've bought him a safari one and a farm one and he's getting pretty good at them - can't do any alone yet, but can put several pieces together on his own in each of them.
• Reed still loves books and reading - hooray!  We typically have 30-50 picture books checked out from the library and cycle through them pretty regularly.  He will sit and listen to as many books as we'll read him.

• A few months ago I thought it would be good to introduce him to audiobooks.  We moved the CD player into his room and, using Mercy Watson, taught him how to put the CD in and out of the player, and how to start it.  We listened to Mercy Watson dozens of times as he started turning it on before every nap and bedtime and often throughout the day, which we take as a good sign that he enjoys it!
• Reed is becoming a much better eater - HALLELUJAH.  He still isn't open to trying everything but he loves meat now (grilled chicken and steak especially), drinks smoothies with me every morning, and is even starting to like vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, sometimes bell peppers).  He still loves chocolate and has now fallen in love with M&Ms (which he called "MMs" for the longest time - I'm sorry he fixed that one!), which his Bompa gives him every time he sees him.  Breakfast is usually pancakes or waffles with a smoothie; lunch is usually pasta, quinoa, or rice with fruit, chicken, string cheese, dried fruit, crackers, nuts, or something else in the cupboard; he typically eats what we eat for dinner (which we really appreciate).  Pao de queijo is an ongoing favorite, as are all kinds of noodles, berries, and whipped cream.  :)

• We have a pretty steady daily schedule while TJ is at work.  Reed is almost always the first awake, typically between 5:30-6:30.  He comes to our room and sometimes comes into bed with us but sometimes is wide awake and turning on lights, talking at full volume.  We get up to get ready and TJ and Reed usually start eating breakfast together while I'm getting ready for the day.  TJ leaves to work around 8 and I am in and out of the kitchen feeding Reed and Holland while I do my makeup and hair.  After we've finished breakfast we get dressed and head out the door, usually about 9:30, for some sort of morning adventure: the Bean Museum at BYU, story time at the library, grocery shopping, a trip to the zoo, a visit to Thanksgiving Point, just something to get out of the house.  We come back home around noon, sometimes eating lunch in the car on the way (me passing Reed pieces of bread, nuts, fruit, etc.) and get home in time for nap time.  I love that Reed still naps every day.  He goes down sometime between 12-1:30 and then sleeps 2-3 hours.  Holland usually falls asleep on our morning adventures and is ready for a full nap in the afternoon while Reed sleeps, so I run around and get as much done while they both nap.  Holland almost always wakes from her nap before Reed does.  Reed is typically up around 4:00, which is when TJ finishes work, so we get the house cleaned up and dinner going while TJ drives home.  We eat dinner together and then try to do something together before we start the bedtime routine: maybe go for a walk, go visit someone, run to the library, read books together, whatever.  At bedtime we read scriptures, brush teeth, and say prayer together before putting Reed to bed and then Holland down after - Reed goes down usually about 7:30..

• Reed is pretty insistent about saying the prayer anytime we pray.  When he does say the prayer he started "Henly Dadar, Tank you Nanny Poppy stool."  Then he waits for us to help him with the rest.  We have NO idea what "Nanny Poppy stool" means and have tried many means of interrogation to figure it out, but no luck.  :)  He ends each prayer with a simple "Christ amen."  Given that we'd like to rotate who says family prayer we've taken the angle of trying to say "Reed, you get to say the prayer with you're in your room."  So far it hasn't worked and he either prays over you while you're praying (clever boy) or screams until you give up and let him pray.  :)  Ha!
• Reed has a tender heart.  He notices when people are upset (he tells me when he hears babies crying or watches when someone is upset) and is genuinely concerned about them.  When I'm having a hard time and crying he gives me loves (sits on my lap and snuggles me) and says "What's wrong, Mommy?"  If I tell him I have an owie he kisses it better.  If I'm really upset and crying hard he'll tell me, "Deep bref, Mommy."  He is just so sweet and loving.

• I'm not sure what started it but at some point we started calling people that help "helper bees."  Reed loves to be a "helper bee" and we can usually say, "Reed, be a helper bee: go grab me this." and he'll gladly jump up and do it.  

 

• Reed takes the garbage very seriously and randomly empties all the garbage cans in the house into the kitchen garbage.  He asks me several times a week when the garbage truck is coming and loves running to the window (or outside) to watch them.  It makes his day when the garbage truck driver waves back.

• In fact, Reed loves workers of all kinds and calls out "There's a worker!" and "Hello, worker!"  We first started using the word "worker" to describe the little worker guys in his Duplo set and that has transferred to real life workers.  Bless all those sweet workers who wave and say hi, especially the ones driving past in fire trucks, dump trucks, ambulances, and diggers, who absolutely make his day every time.  One time a police man next to us at a stop light even noticed Reed staring at him and turned on his lights and waved and Reed: he talked about that for weeks.
• Probably Reed's favorite thing in all the land is to "scoop and dump," which is digging.  He will scoop and dump in our yard with shovels and buckets and dirt.  He will scoop and dump in the family room with kitchen utensils (spatulas, spoons, etc.) and pretend the carpet is dirt.  He will scoop leaves or dig up grass or scoop and dump his bath water.  We found a park that has dirt and water that the kids can play in and he calls it the "scooping dumping park."  Naturally he loves that place and asks if we can go all the time.

• TJ and Reed have started doing dates together.  Reed calls them "hot dates," haha.  Their first couple dates were to Costa Vida, which was so thrilling for Reed.  They have since gone to the scooping dumping park too.  It's so cute to get pictures from them.

• I call him Reed or Brother most of the time.  He also responds to Baby or Sweet Boy or, of course, Reed Morris.  If I call out, "Has anybody seen my sweet baby boy?  He's wearing yellow and he's handsome and he's two and I love him." He'll respond, "Reed Morris, right here!"  He is a momma's boy.
• While he's getting better at smiling for pictures he is worse than ever at actually looking at the camera.  We have gobs of photos with him smiling at something other than us.

Obviously I could go on and on and on - I should probably do posts like this every day or two given how much I have to say.  :)  

Reed is the person I talk to more than anyone else: we spend all day together and - unlike Holland so far - he can actually converse with me.  He makes me laugh and sometimes makes me cry but he fills my heart to overflowing with love.  I am incredibly grateful that he is my boy (as he says "Two babies: Hana and Reed.") and that I get to be with him every day.  

Love you forever, Brother.